Steam-engine.



No. 743,282. PATBNTED NOV. 3, 1903. L. HICKS.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED-APB. 10. 1903.

no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 1.

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L. HICKS.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 10, 1903.

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FIG. 2.

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C. w L'ouzs flicks $3 elite (ma a in: no nms PETERS co PnoroummWASHiNC-Ium n c NITED STATES i atented November 3, 19 03 LOUIS HICKS, OFBATAVIA, OHIO.

STEAM- ENGINE.

31?EOIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.-'?43,282, datedNovember 3, 1903.

Application filed April 10. 1903.

To 60% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS HICKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Batavia, in the county of Clermont and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of whichthe following is a specification. V r

The object of my invention isto provide an improved compoundsteam-engine of simple construction and economical operation in whichcondensation of the steam in the cylinders during admission andexpansion is prevented and in which steam at high or low pressure may beused and the full expansive force of the steam obtained without lossfrom condensation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of compound-enginecylinders and their operative parts embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 across-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Reference-letters A and denote, respectively, the high and low pressurecylinders of a compound engine; 0, a steam-chamber inclosing cylinders Aand B; D, pistons operating in cylinders A; E, pistons operating incylinders B; F, a valve for cylinders A; G, a valve for cylinders B, andHa shaft driven by cylinders A and B and pistons D and E.

The high-pressure cylinders A are open at one end and are mounted-inalinement with each other withtheir closed ends adjacent. They arepreferably formed in one casting and joined together at their innerclosed ends by cross-pieces a and stuffing-box a, so as to leave an openspace a between them. Lugs a serve to hold them in position in chamber0. The low-pressure cylinders B are also open at one end and mounted inalinement with each other with their closed ends adjacent. They are alsopreferably in one casting and joined together at their inner closed endsby cross-pieces b and stuffing-box b, so

as to leave an open spaceb between them. 1

Lugs b serve to chamber 0.

Chamber 0 may be of any desired shape. It incloses cylinders A and Bwith an open space 0 around them and is provided with an inlet-pipe cfor a steam-supply.

Pistons D are mounted on asingle pistonhold them in position in rod (1,passing through stuffing-boxer bee semi No. 151,965. (No model.)

tween cylinders A and through stufling-box c in the wall of chamber 0.Theposition of Ipistons D on rod cl is such that when one is near theinner end of its cylinder the other is near the outer end of itscylinder, and vice versa, with the operative side of each piston turnedtoward the inner closed end of its cylinder. On their inoperative sidespistons D are hollowed out, as indicated in Fig. 2. Pistons E'are alsomounted on a single piston {rod e, passing through'stufiing-box 1)between cylinders B and through stuffing-box o in jthe wall of chamber0. Their positions relaltively to each other are the same as pistons 1D,and they are similarly hollowed out on ltheir inoperative sides. l ValveF is mounted on valve-seatf and is .operated by any desired form ofvalve-gear {(not shown) to admit steam from the space 0 tin chamber 0 tocylinders A and exhaust icylinders A into exhaust-chamber a throughports a to cause reciprocation of pistons D and rod d.

The exhaust-chamber or is connected by a pipe a with supply-chamber b?for cylinders B, so that the steam exhausted from cylin- :ders A isconveyed to the supply-chamber for cylinders B.

Valve Gis mounted on val ve-seat g and is operated by any desired formof valve-gear 5 (not shown) to admit steam from chamber b jto cylindersB and exhaust cylinders B into exhaust-chamber b through ports 12 tocause reciprocation of pistons E and rod e.

The shaft H is mounted in any suitable hear- Ii ngs and is provided withcrank-arms h, which are preferably one hundred and eighty 1 degreesapart, as indicated in Fig. 2. Crank- 3 arms h are connected withpiston-rods d and jofcrossheads. (Notshown.) Theoperative l power of theengine may be taken from shaft 1H by a pulley or other suitable means.

In operation the live steam is admitted to chamber 0 through inlet-pipec and. comipletely surrounds the cylinders A and B and 1 their operativeand connecting parts. Valve i F admits the live steam from chamber 0into :cylinders A alternately and exhaust cylinjders A alternately intoexhaust-chamber a. 1 This causes the pistonsD and piston-rod d toreciprocate and rotate shaft 11. After a par- .e by means of rods h andany suitable form ICO tial expansion in cylinders A the steam is thusexhausted into chamber a whence it passes through pipe a tosupply-chamber b for cylinders B. Valve G operates to admit theexhaust-steam from chamber b to cylin ders B alternately and exhaustcylinders B alternately into exhaust-chamber I), thus obtaining thecomplete expansion of the steam to reciprocate pistons E and piston-rode and rotate shaft H. It will be noted that the steam in chamber 0completely surrounds cylinders A and B and their operative andconnecting parts, so that the live steam from the boiler has access tothe outer walls of cylinders A and B, to their inner heads, to theiropen ends, to the piston-heads, to the valve-chest for cylinder A, andto the walls of the supplychamber for cylinders B and serves to heatthese surfaces to and maintain them at the temperature of theboiler-steam. When they are so heated, the working steam admitted to thecylinders comes in contact with the surfaces of the steam-passages andthe piston and cylinder heads heated to its own temperature bycompression and the conduction of heat to these surfaces through themetal from the live steam in contact with the opposite surfaces, andsince the temperatures of these surfaces and the working steam are thesame no condensation can take place. As admission continues to the pointof cutoff and the piston advances the working steam comes in contactwith the surfaces of the cylinder-walls already heated to thetemperature of the prime steam by contact with the prime steam in theopen end of the cylinder and by conduction of heat through thecylinderwalls from the live steam surrounding the cylinders, andconsequently during this period no condensation can occur. Beneficialresults 'can be obtained with steam in chamber C of any degree oftemperature above that of the exhaust; but it is preferable to use thesteam at a temperature equal to or greater than that supplied tothecylinders A.

After cut-off and during expansion to the end of the stroke the workingsteam is in contact with surfaces heated by the prime steam to its owntemperature, as above described, and these surfaces during expansioncontinue at a higher temperature than the temperature of the expandingsteam, and therefore no condensation occurs during the expansion period,but, on the contrary, the tendency is to superheat the expandingsteam.The steam-surfaces being heated and dry at the end of the stroke nolossof heat by reevaporation like that which occurs in the ordinary enginewill take place during exhaust.

The working steam during expansion and j exhaust being of lowertemperature than the surfaces inclosing it will to a slight degreereduce the temperature of these surfaces at each stroke; but this slightloss of heat will be restored each stroke to these surfaces byconduction of heat through the metal from the live steam in the spacesand by the'live steam following the pistons through the open ends of thecylinders during the return stroke. This restoration of heat to thesurfaces occurring after each stroke gives to the steamsurfaces thetemperature of the prime steam for the admission and expansion of thenext stroke and prevents a low range of temperature from beingestablished like that to which the working steam is subjected in theordinary engine. Under this condition of admitting and expanding thesteam in contact with surfaces of an equal or higher temperature steamof any pressure may be used and expanded to any degree without loss fromcylinder condensation. This restoration of heat to the workingsteam-surfaces by conduction of heat from thesteam in the steam-spacesand by the live steam in the open ends of the cylinders will cause acorresponding condensation in the outside chamber and open ends of theinside cylinders, and the water produced by this condensation, togetherwith the water produced by condensation arising from radiation of heatfrom the outside chamber, will have a temperature but slightly lowerthan that of the prime steam and will collect in the lowest part of theoutside chamber and will be returned to the boiler by a "drainpipe orpump, and the heat contained in this water will not be lost. Thepressure of the live steam on the piston-heads D and E being equal andin opposite directions is neutralized.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of applicationof my invention, this is capable of many variations withoutdeparting'from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish tobe confined to this particular form of apparatus; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steamengine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the highpressurecylinders; two low-pressure cylinders, each having a closed and an openend; pistons inthe low-pressure cylinders; means for admission andexhaust for the closed ends of the high-pressure cylinders; means foradmitting the exhaust from the high-pressure cylinders to the closedends of the low-pressure cylinders, and exhausting the low-pressurecylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of the high-pressurecylinders;

a steam-passage connecting the open ends of the low-pressu re cylinders;and means for adi mitting high-temperature steam to the open ends of thehigh and low pressure cylinders,

5 substantially as specified.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the high- I pressurecylinders, mounted to take their operative strokes alternately; twolow-pressure icylinders, each having a closed and an open end; pistonsin the low-pressure cylinders,

mounted to take their operative strokes alternately; means for admissionand exhaust for the closed ends of the high-pressure cylinders; meansfor admitting the exhaust from the high-pressure cylinders tothe closedends of the low-pressure cylinders, and exhausting the low-pressurecylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of the high-pressurecylinders; a steampassage connecting the open ends of the low-pressurecylinders; and means for admitting high-temperature steam to the openends of the high and low pressure cylinders, substantially as specified.

3. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed and an open end, mounted in alinement with eachother with their closed ends adjacent; pistons in the high-pressurecylinders, carried by a single piston-rod passing through the closedends of the cylinders; two low-pressure cylinders, each having a closedand an open end, mounted in alinement with each other with their closedends adjacent; pistons in the low-pressure cylinders, carried by asingle piston-rod passing through the closed ends of the cylinders;means for admission and exhaust for the closed ends of the high-pressurecylinders; means for admitting the exhaust from the high-pressurecylinders to the closed ends of the low-pressure cylinders, andexhausting the low-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting theopen ends of the high-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting theopen ends of the low-pressure cylinders; and means for admittingnightemperature steam to the open ends of the high and low pressurecylinders,

a steam space around them, substantially as specified.

5. 'In a steam-engine, the combination of,

two high-pressure cylinders, each having a closed inner and an openouter end; pistons in the high-pressure cylinders; two low-pressurecylinders, each having a closed inner and an open outer end; pistons inthe lowpressure cylinders; meansfor admission and exhaust for the closedends of the high-pressure cylinders; means for admitting the exhaustfrom the high-pressure cylinders to the closed ends of the low-pressurecylinders, and exhausting thelow-pressure cylinders; and a chamberinclosing the high and low pressure cylinders and forming a steam-spacearound them, substantially as specified.

6. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each havinga closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other with their inner ends adjacent; pistons in thehigh-pressure cylinders; two low-pressure cylinders, each having aclosed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinement with each otherwith their inner ends adjacent; pistonsin the low-pressure cylinders;means for ad mission and exhaust for the closed ends of thehigh-pressure cylinders; means for admitting the exhaust from thehigh-pressure cylinders to the closed ends of the low-pressurecylinders, and exhausting the low-pressure cylinders; and a chamberinclosing the high and and an open outer end; pistons in the lowpressurecylinders; a valve and a valve-seat for the high-pressure cylinders; anexhaustchamber for the high-pressure cylinders; a Valve and a valve-seatfor the low-pressure cylinders, in communication with the exhaust-chamber; and a chamber inclosing the high and low pressurecylinders, the valve for the high-pressure cylinders, and theexhaust-chamber, and forming a steam-space around them, substantially asspecified.

8. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other with their inner ends adjacent, but having a spacebetween them; pistons in the high-pressure cylinders; two low-pressurecylinders, eachhaving a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted inalinement with each other with their inner ends adjacent, but having aspace between them; pistons in the low-pressurecylinders;

a Valve and a valve-seat for the high-pressure cylinders; anexhaust-chamber for the highpressure cylinders; a valve and a valve-seatfor the low-pressure cylinders, in communication with the exhaustchamber; and a chamber inclosing the high and low pressure cylinders,the valve for the high-pressure cylinders, and the exhaust-chamber, andr forming a steam-space around them, substantially as specified.

9. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the highpressurecylinders, hollowed out on one side; two low-pressure cylinders, eachhaving a closed and an open end; pistons in the lowpressure cylinders,hollowed out on one side; means for admission and exhaust for the closedends of the high-pressure cylinders;

means for admitting the exhaust from the highspressure cylinders to theclosed ends of the low-pressure cylinders, and exhausting thelow-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of thehigh-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of thelow-pressure cylinders; and means for admitting high-temperature steamto the open ends of the high and low pressure cylinders, substantiallyas specified.

10. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the highpressurecylinders, hollowed out on the inoperative side; two low-pressurecylinders, each having a closed and an open end; pistons in thelow-pressure cylinders, hollowed out on the inoperative side; means foradmission and exhaust for the closed ends of the high-pressurecylinders; means for admitting the exhaust from the high-pressurecylinders to the closed ends of the low-pressure cylinders, andexhausting the low-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting theopen ends of the high-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting theopen ends of the low-pressure cylinders; and means for admittinghigh-temperature steam to the open ends of the high and low pressurecylinders, substantially as specified.-

11. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the highpressurecylinders, hollowed out on one side; two low-pressure cylinders, eachhaving a closed and an open end; pistons in the lowpressure cylinders,hollowed out on one side; means for admission and exhaust for the closedends of the high-pressure cylinders;

means for admitting the exhaust from the high-pressure cylinders to theclosed ends of the low-pressure cylinders, and exhausting thelow-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of thehigh-pressure cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of thelow-pressure cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the high and lowpressure cylinders and forming a steam-space around them, substantiallyas specified.

12. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other with their inner ends adjacent, but having a spacebetween them; pistons in the high-pressure cylinders, hollowed out onone side; two low-pressure cylinders, each having a closed inner and anopen outer end, mounted in alinement with each other with their innerends adjacent, but having a space between them; pistons in thelow-pressure cylinders, hollowed out on one side; a valve and avalve-seat for the high-pressure cylinders; an exhaust-chamber for thehigh-pressure cylinders; a valve and a valve-seat for the low-pressurecylinders, in communication with the exhaust-chamber;

and a chamber inclosing the high and low prcssure cylinders, the valvefor the high-pres'= sure cylinders, and the exhaust-chamber, and forminga steam-space around them, substantially as specified.

13. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other with their inner ends adjacent; pistons in thehigh-pressure cylinders, carried by a single piston-rod passing throughthe closed inner ends of the cylinders; two low-pressure cylinders, eachhaving a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinement witheach other with their inner ends adjacent; pistons in the lowpressurecylinders, carried bya single pistonrod passing through the closed innerends of the cylinders; means for admission and exhaust for thehigh-pressure cylinders; means for admitting the exhaust from thehigh-pressure cylinders to the low-pressure cylinders, and exhaustingthe low-pressure cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the high and lowpressure cylinders and forming a steam-space around them, substantiallyas specified.

14. In a steam'engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each'having a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other with their inner ends adjacent, but having an open spacebetween them; pistons in the high-pressure cylinders, carried by asingle piston-rod passing through the closed inner ends of thecylinders; two low-pressure cylinders, each having ac-losed inner and anopen outerend, mounted in alinement with each other with their innorends adjacent, but having an open space between them; pistons in thelow-pressure cylinders, carried by a single piston-rod passing throughthe closed inner ends of the cylinders; means for admission and exhaustfor the high-pressure cylinders; means for admitting the exhaust fromthe high-pressure cylinders to the low-pressure cylinders, andexhausting the low-pressure cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the highand low pressure cylinders and forming a steam-space around them,substantially as specified.

15. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each'having a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other with their inner ends adjacent; pistons in thehigh-pressure cylinders, carried by a single piston-rod pass ing throughthe closed inner ends of the cylinders; two low-pressure cylinders, eachhaving a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinement witheach other with their inner ends adjacent; pistons in the lowpressurecylinders, carried by a single pistonrod passing through the closedinner ends of the cylinders; a valve and a valve-seat for thehigh-pressure cylinders; an exhaust-chamber for the high-pressurecylinders; a valve and a valve-seat for the low-pressure cylinders,located in the exhaust-chamber and a chamber inclosing the high and lowpressure cylinders and forming a steam-space around them, substantiallyas specified.

16. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other With their inner ends adjacent, but having an open spacebetween them; pistons in the high-pressure cyl inders, carried byasingle piston-rod passing through the closed inner ends of thecylinders; two low-pressure cylinders, each having a closed inner and anopen outer end, mounted in alinement with each other with their innerends adjacent, but having an open space between them; pistons in theloW-pressu re cylinders, carried by a single piston-rod passing throughthe closed inner ends of the cylinders; a valve and a valve-seat for thehighpressure cylinders; an exhaust-chamber for the high-pressurecylinders; a valve and a valve-seat for the low-pressure cylinders,located in the exhaust-chamber; and a chamber inclosing the high andlowpressure cylinders, the valve for the high-pressure cylinders and theexhaust-chamber,- and forming a steamspace around them, substantially asspecified.

17. In a steam-engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders,each having a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinementwith each other with their inner ends adjacent, but having an open spacebetween them; pistons in the high-pressure cylinders, carried by asingle piston-rod passing through a stuffing-box mounted between theclosed inner ends ofthe cylinders; two lowpressure cylinders, eachhaving a closed inner and an open outer end, mounted in alinement witheach other with their inner ends adjacent, but having an openspace'between them; pistons in the low-pressure cylinders, carried by asingle piston-rod passing-through a stu E- ing-box mounted between theclosed inner ends of the cylinders; a valve and a valveseat for thehigh-pressure cylinders; an ex-'

